What do you think ‘inclusive’ means when it comes to copy? Is it avoiding certain words, making sure your language is just right so that it doesn’t offend anyone?
Well, I’ve got news for you – it doesn’t.
Inclusive copy just means that making sure as many people as possible can read, understand and act on what you’ve written. That might sound simple on the surface, but when you actually start writing, it gets interesting.
Because our audience isn’t made up of carbon-copy humans with identical brains, backgrounds and experiences. Some of them are reading your content in their second language. Some are skimming it because they’re busy. Some have ADHD, and will abandon a big wall of text faster than you can say ‘attention deficit’. Some might be autistic and need clear, literal communication. Others might be dyslexic and find dense paragraphs or long words exhausting to read. And some could be dyspraxic and process written information differently.
And there will be plenty who don’t know they belong in those camps, but have the struggles anyway.
So the question is, are you writing for real people, or for your ‘average customer’ that doesn’t actually exist? Thankfully, I have personal experience with both the neurospicy side of things and the writing side, so if you want to make your copy truly inclusive, I have some tips for you.
Stop Assuming Everyone Understands Your Idioms
British businesses, and British people in general, love their idioms. You’ll find them everywhere! Things like:
‘We’ll hit the ground running.’
‘It’s not rocket science’
‘We’re moving the goalposts’.
Phrases like this might feel completely natural if you’re writing for a local audience. But the internet is global. People could be reading your copy in their second language, from Germany, India, Singapore or Poland. Or they could be neurodivergent, which means they could interpret language more literally and wonder why on earth your IT consultancy is running around a football field interfering with goal posts.
Idioms rely on a shared cultural knowledge, and they’re almost the opposite of clear communication. The good news is that ditching the idioms doesn’t mean your content has to be cold or robotic. It just means choosing clarity over cleverness so that everyone understands the joke.
Think About Different Brains
One of the biggest mistakes I see businesses make is assuming that everyone reads content in the same way. But our brains just don’t work that way. Even people from the same groups can read and interpret content in unique ways, which means you need to think across the board if you want to write truly inclusive copy. For example, here are a few groups you may not have thought of, and how to write to include them:
ADHDers need breathing space: Most people don’t read text on a website in a straight line, but people with ADHD take that a step further. They scan. They jump between headings to look for key information. If you put a big block of unbroken text in front of them, they’re much more likely to click away before they’ve read more than a sentence or two. The solution for this is easy. Break information into manageable chunks. Use clear headings to separate information and keep our paragraphs fairly short. Cut the unnecessary padding and stick to the important information.
Autism needs clarity: Marketing content has a bad habit of saying a lot without actually saying anything. A bit like politicians! Phrases like ‘transformative solutions’, ‘unlock your potential’ or ‘driving innovation’. They sound flashy, but they’re so vague they’re basically meaningless. Nobody really knows what they mean, and that’s a problem for everyone, but particularly for autistic readers. Not because autistic people can’t understand abstract language, but because ambiguity is difficult to process. Good copy shouldn’t take effort to understand. So rather than falling back on one of those tired sayings, explain what you do. Show people how you support your customers. Replace the buzzwords with specifics. The clearer your message, the easier it is for people to understand and trust it.
Dyslexia needs good formatting: Dyslexia isn’t all about spelling. It’s a difference in the way the brain processes information, and people with it may need to re-read sentences multiple times to understand them. Large blocks or text, complex sentence structures and bad formatting all make content much harder to process. So this one is as much about your layout as it is your language. Your copy should focus on:
- Short paragraphs
- Clear headings and subheadings
- Logical content structure
- Bullet points (where they make sense)
- Everyday language
- Plenty of white space.
Dyspraxia needs simple structure: A lot of people think dyspraxia is all about physical co-ordination, but people with is can also struggle with organisation, processing information and working memory. So overly complicated navigation, inconsistent messaging and badly structured content all make things much more difficult. Your copy should create clear pathways through information, making sure you tell readers what they need to know, when they need to know it.
Non-native English speakers need jargon-free: If someone is reading your content and English is their second language, they’re going to find it harder to decode jargon, buzzwords and complex sentences. Keep things simple, and don’t try to show off in your copy. Plain English and simple sentences all the way.
Screen Readers need clear and predictable: People who are blind, partially sighted or just struggle with reading might use screen reader technology, where software processes the words on a screen and reads it out loud for them. They also let users skip around the content using headings and links. So your copy needs to be clear and well formatted, with proper headings and scannable structure. Avoid using all caps for emphasis, as screen readers will read them out one letter at a time, and avoid filler.
There’s a hidden bonus for all of these tips. They don’t just work well for including those specific people. They make your content easier for everyone to consume! Which ultimately means your marketing will be more effective.
Your Inclusive Copy Checklist
If you want to achieve all of that, the first step is to look at every piece of content you write and ask yourself:
- Would someone outside my industry understand this?
- Have I explained things clearly and directly?
- Could someone skim this page and still find the key information?
- Have I used jargon or buzzwords that I don’t really need?
- Are my paragraphs short enough to be easy to read?
- Have I used any idioms or cultural references that might not translate?
- Is my content accessible to people with different ways of processing information?
If the answers don’t look good, you need to go back and edit it.
As a neurodiversity-friendly copywriter, creating content that ticks all those boxes is my thing. I help businesses create content that’s clear, accessible, and engaging for a truly wide audience, not just a random demographic. So if you’d like a fresh pair of eyes on your website or marketing materials, give me a shout. Together, we can make sure your copy isn’t just saying the right things — it’s saying them in a way everyone can understand.